My luvvies, I got to have an adventure two weeks ago! iDJ and I took the first week of August off, just because we had unused holiday time. There was also a birthday in that week, but that is of no consequence.
What is of consequence is that he asked me on Sunday if I wanted to go see the Giant’s Causeway. Well, yah! I’ve been in Ireland over 10 years and not seen it yet. He’s been here his whole life and not seen it yet!
After many debates and checking of every weather-app we have, we settled on a day that was ‘meant to be decent up North’, which turned out to be that very next Tuesday. Two whole days to prepare to go to another country. Of course, we can drive there, and it “only” took four hours one way.
So: through counties Mayo, and Sligo, and Letrim. Through Donegal and Derry and into Antrim – where you can actually see Scotland on a clear day (it wasn’t a clear day). A long drive on rough roads, and bad weather for most of it. The usual, then!
We have a Garmin sat-nav. Of course, we rarely trust it. So we followed the road signs and ended up taking the coastal route, which was prettier anyway. We found an odd place that we really wanted to explore, but were too pressed for time: Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demense. Maybe next time.
These two photos are stolen from Himself as my only picture was rubbish. Clearly they were making hay while the sun shone.
We continued on to Dunluce Castle. While it is quite large, we didn’t fancy paying the entrance fee so took pictures from outside the castle.
It was hard to avoid getting other tourists in the shot – and I also truly hated the wire fencing at the base of the castle that was keeping the erosion down. Shame they couldn’t find a more natural way to contain falling rock.
Finally, we made it to the Causeway. About 5 hours after we left home! We were already tired. Getting old sucks.
This is the first picture I took – you have a good downhill walk to get to this part, and the causeway hasn’t even started yet at that wee hill. Still, we were tempted to climb it, like these people did.
Very eroded rocks. But I still feel and see the lava that created them. 
I found a tidal pool! Yay! It helped because there were SO DAMN MANY PEOPLE around.
I went right to the edge. I was feeling a bit claustrophobic with the crowds, so I did my best to escape them. Hubby went another direction, and I did worry I’d lost him – several times.
It was very hard to get pictures without strangers in the frame. People had come from all over our planet to see this natural wonder. This is the widest people-free shot that I managed to take – and only because I’d walked way out toward the ocean. Families were much less likely to let their kids near the water, and no one wanted a selfie. It pays to be anti-social sometimes!
Beautiful and amazing at once.
The basalt columns are all on an angle. Had to get the horizon in this shot to prove it!
I love rocks.
More rock detail. Each one of these is just about the right size for a human adult’s foot. Made climbing up and down quite easy – like a huge but wonky staircase.
We didn’t have time to walk to this part. You will have to click and zoom in to see how tiny the humans are compared to these massive inland columns. What you have to imagine is that the entirety of the land you see here is made up of the volcanic columns I was stumbling around on, on shore.
I spent a lot of time looking down. Sometimes I looked up.
I know these aren’t the most symmetrical of Causeway rocks. I love them regardless. I’ve never been to the New Mexico badlands – but somehow I expect to see the same sort of rocks there.
Another part we didn’t have time to explore. Damn. Aparently there is a rope-bridge and I was curious to see if I’d finally defeated my fear of heights or not.
All in all – go see it. Next time I will drive up, spend the night close by, and have plenty of time to explore the next day. It is on par with any natural wonder you might be close to. But give yourselves a lot of time to wander and explore, and bring some water with you as there is a lot of walking uphill!
heretherebespiders 
That is freaking beautiful and freaking amazing all at once. Not very original, yes… But it just is. I wanna see castles. Where my castle? I should get a castle!
Got money? We have castles!
I’m in. Let’s live in a castle– do they market those on zillow?
Doubt it – I don’t even know what Zillow is!
Ireland is awesome!
All of it!
Earlier in the year I spent 3 weeks touring Ireland. Mostly west coast and south but a few days in Dublin. It is a wondrous place!
Really? West – were you in Mayo? I might be prejudiced but it is my home county and we have some beautiful places.
Mostly clare with day trips from there. Cliffs of moher, cork and all inbetween
I love Limerick city. The Cliffs are great – but have a search on my blog for Downpatrick head!
Wow. FanTAStic pictures. Thank you!!
Glad to be your tour guide! You have some beautiful spaces near you, I know 🙂
Gorgeous. I kinda want to go to Ireland now. 🙂
Kinda?!? Sheesh. This isn’t even Ireland – it’s Northern Ireland. I’ve clearly not been doing a good job at being a tourism promoter…
Envy you that trip – have always wanted to visit.
I’ve never made it to your country, either… Sigh
Hey, you are always welcome, as is iDJ!
One day! He has been. But I haven’t been much of anywhere since I moved so close to everywhere!
Shit happens but you must plan 😉
Yes – and Magic the finances out of the ether!
There is that aspect but you might like to try trustedhousesitters.com – we’re clients and have a lot of need!
Ugh, good point – we do have the dog and two cats! Sounds like a great idea, as we would be great at it ourselves.
Wow. What an amazing outing! I love rocks too and I’m really glad you shared this trip with us…Some magnificent scenery to be sure!
You know, I didn’t bring any rocks home with me. Normally I will take one small one to remember the trip by. But unless I hauled a 20-kilo chunk, which I’m sure would be frowned upon, I would have no way to tell where I got the rock from! So I nabbed a bit of weird red pumice-like stone from before the causeway even started. It is crazy-light, hence me thinking pumice. Never seen it orange-red before…
Very cool! Pumice works for me! Am glad you didn’t come home empty-handed!
Beautiful! Even more reason for me to come visit you. 🙂
It’s a haul and a half from here, but much closer to the Eejit!
I saw the Causeway when I was a little girl, and I’ve never forgotten it. Thanks for the great photos!
I bet it is even more impressive when you are shorter!
Wonderful photos
This is *insanely* gorgeous. A place I now want to see! But… My dear, where are all the crowds? I saw nary a person in your fabulous photos!!
I very carefully did not take pictures of other people! There are some in the long-distance cliff photo. They are just very tiny.
Good job, it looks like you’re all alone! 🙂 Still want to go!
What a fascinating place to visit and so beautiful! Thank you for sharing this trip with us.
What an amazing place! Thanks for sharing so many awesome pictures. I’m stuck over here in the U.S. and have a terrible fear of crossing the ocean, (by boat or plane) so if it isn’t in North or South America, I’m not likely to ever see it in person. (Until they invent transporters, of course.) Until then I will have to rely on beautiful photos like these to visit these places.
Yeah but… CEDAR POINT! I moved here from Cleveland – and I still kind of miss it. Very underrated city.
I’ve only been to Cleveland once, but I have some friends who live there and they actually like it quite a lot. (I always wanted to meet Harvey Pekar, but he’s gone now. 😦
I know. I never met him either, but I sure did find an amazing group of friends there. 10 years in Ireland, and my best mates are all from other countries, too. Where are you based?
Ann Arbor Michigan. I haven’t always lived in this exact location, but I’ve never lived far away from south central Michigan. Except this one time I spent a week living in the back of a station wagon in St. Louis, but….that deserves a blog post all it’s own. 😉
Never been there, either! But how odd, in my mind, to never go far from home. Yah, most Irish people either leave forever or never leave the county (so so so small, these counties, to my American mind).
I wish I could walk there just once!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
I must get my photo’s organised and post the ones from inside Dunluce. I did pay last time I was up, but I wanted a specific shot I had taken years ago so it was worth it.
Can’t wait till you decide to come to Belshaft!
It will need to be a spend the night kind of trip – up and back again is exhausting for us old farts!